


Feel Again

by theimpossiblepossiblegirl



Series: 52 Short Stories in 52 Weeks [13]
Category: Broadchurch, Secret Diary of a Call Girl (TV)
Genre: F/M, Road Trips, Wee bit of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 10:56:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6372085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimpossiblepossiblegirl/pseuds/theimpossiblepossiblegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannah Baxter is determined to be Alec's friend while he thinks they shouldn't be friends. When he decides to visit his father, Hannah invites herself along, much to Alec's frustration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel Again

**Author's Note:**

> Week Thirteen: A story that takes place entirely inside a vehicle

“Bloody hell.” Alec muttered as he took the ramp to get onto the highway. They had been an hour behind schedule due to Hannah running around her flat.

She had been under his protective care eight months ago due to her being a witness in a high profile case. The trial had ended three months ago and he had been surprised when she called him, just to see how he was doing a week later. Despite everything he tried, he couldn’t convince her that she didn’t want to be friends with him. When he told her a few days before that he would be out of town for two weeks, he found himself inviting her along. After she had pestered him to go.

“If you had packed last night like I had suggested, we wouldn’t be stuck in traffic.”

“Are you going to be like this the entire trip? It’s a seven hour drive, I want to be prepared.”

“Just might.”

“Fine. Talk to me when you decide not to take everything out on me.” Hannah mumbled, pulling out her book from her bag.

Friends weren’t an easy thing to have for Hannah. Not since she became a call girl. She had ended her career though, right after the murder. It had been a coincidence that she was in the hotel at the time. She had been early for her client, extremely early. Hannah shuddered as she pushed back the memories. She had lost enough sleep over it already.

An hour into the trip found Alec glancing at her every few minutes. He could never figure out why she had forced her way into his life. He didn’t mind, not anymore at least. She was at least twelve years younger than he was, surely she had other friends to bother.

“I’m sorry I made us late.” Hannah told him softly when she caught him looking at her for the twentieth time.

“We’re not late. He’s not expecting us until later tonight anyway.”

“Does your father know I’m coming?”

“Aye. Told him I was bringing a friend with me.”

“Does he know I’m a female?” She teased him, shifting a bit in her seat.

“Aye.” He stole another glance in her direction. “Why are you my friend?”

“I want to be. In my line of work, you don’t have many mates.”

“I thought you gave it up?”

“I did, but it’s hard making friends now. My mate, Ben, he won’t speak to me anymore. I’ve got no one now.”

“There’s me.” Alec cleared his throat as he changed lanes, his grip tight on the steering wheel.

“Yeah, there’s you. Though you seem to not want to be mates.”

“You’re wasting your time being friends with me.”

“I don’t think I am. You’re stuck with me, Alec. No getting rid of me now.”

“Fine.” He conceded, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Hour three found Hannah begging him to let her drive and much to her amusement, he wasn’t budging on handing over the wheel.

“When was the last time you drove a car?”

“Some time right after I got my license.”

“I’m fine driving. Only four more hours to go. Traffic has let up.”

“Can I at least get out when we stop for petrol to stretch?”

“Aye. We’ll stop in another hour or so.”

Hour five was the most frustrating hour of the drive, at least to Alec. Hannah had a second wind when it came to asking him questions about what they would be doing in Glasgow for two weeks and wanting to know what his dad was like.

“He’s normal.”

“Compared to what? I meant what does he like to do?”

“He reads.”

“Does he still work?”

“He retired two months ago. He was a detective.”

“So you decided to visit to make sure he was getting on okay?” Hannah questioned, biting on her bottom lip gently.

“Aye. I’m all he has left.”

“You have a daughter, yeah?”

“Aye. Daisy. Seventeen now and off at University.” He mused.

Hannah took note of the smile on his lips. It was a true smile, one she had only seen once before.

“You should bring her to visit him too, when she’s on break.”

“She won’t want to spend the time with me.”

“You never know, Alec. She may surprise you.”

During hour six is when everything changed. Alec realized Hannah could be a good friend to him. He just needed to let her in. It had taken a while with Ellie but this, it felt different. Maybe having Hannah force herself into his life wasn’t so bad.

“I think I might go back.”

“Go back to what?”

“Being an escort.” She gripped onto the door when she felt the car swerve. “Oi, what was that for?”

“Hand slipped.” Alec mumbled, glancing over at her. “Do you really want to go back to being Belle?”

“Sort of. It’s what I know, what I’m good at. I’m not sure if writing is the best for me.”

“Have your last two books sold?”

“Yeah, they have. Very well. I don’t want to write about that sort of thing anymore.”

“Write under a pseudonym.”

“I’d be able to support myself and live more comfortably if I went back to being Belle.”

“Would it be worth it?”

Hannah shook her head after a few minutes and turned to look out the window. “No. I was miserable quite a bit of the time. I enjoyed the work but when I wasn’t working, I was working out. Buying clothes that weren’t really me when all I wanted to do was sit and read a book, something normal for once.”

“For what it’s worth, Hannah, I’m glad you gave it up. I like Hannah more than Belle.”

She turned her head and gave him a grin, reaching over to rest her hand over his. “Now when you say like, you mean?”

“Don’t start, Baxter.”

As she let out a laugh, Hannah squeezed his hand gently. “I fancy you too, Detective Inspector. From the first time you tried to pick me up.”

“I wasn’t picking you up. I needed to bring you in for questioning. It wasn’t my fault that you misunderstood.”

“The look on your face though when I told you how much it was going to cost.” She let out a laugh, her grin widening once she saw Alec crack another smile.

“Just glad I was able to keep an eye on you and you didn’t lodge a complaint against me.”

“You were too innocent for me to do that.”

They shared a brief smile before Alec focused his gaze back on the road in front of them.

The last hour of their trip was spent in a comfortable silence. Hannah had her hand tucked into his, which made him relax. When he pulled into the driveway of his dad’s house, he looked over to her, only to see her looking out of the window.

“It’s a huge house.”

“Family house. Was built somewhere in the 1800s.”

“It won’t be drafty, will it?”

“Should be fine.”

“Before we go in, what exactly did you tell him?”

“About what?”

“Me.”

“I told him I was bringing a friend and asked me your name. When I told him, he assumed you were my girlfriend.”

“Now that I can work with.”

“Hannah.” He let out an exacerbated sigh, glaring slightly at her.

“What?” As she got out of the car, she stretched her arms about her head, letting him get a glimpse of her toned stomach. “It’ll cost you, hmm, lets say four thousand.”

“For two weeks?” He blurted out, his eyes wide as he got out of the car.

“I’m only kidding. Just hope you don’t snore.” With a grin, she grabbed her bag and made her way to the front door, leaving Alec with the bags.

With an affectionate smile, Alec followed her up the walkway with his eyes. Their road trip turned out not as bad as he thought it would be.


End file.
